What is Nintendo’s Strategy for “Play Nintendo”?

Recently, Nintendo revealed that they would be ditching their annual E3 Press Conference for a much cooler Nintendo-extravaganza aptly titled “Play Nintendo”. Play Nintendo consists of four events: The Nintendo Digital Event, the Super Smash Bros. Smash-Fest, the Super Smash Bros. Invitational Tourney, and the Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3 2014. Each of these events all come together to make something that may be even be better than E3, but what is Nintendo’s reasoning behind creating Play Nintendo? This article goes into greater detail.

If Nintendo isn't going to have an E3 press conference, they need to have an alternative option with scope. They need to flex their muscles and avoid hiding behind Nintendo Direct's calming wooden background. I wasn't too off-put by the Direct last year, but it didn't really express much confidence from Nintendo. It seemed, for lack of a better phrasing, too quiet.

The Play Nintendo idea seems like a much more assertive proposition. There's clearly a lot going on here. Doing something different is okay, but you gotta do it with guts and confidence.

Well, if you'd like to think positive about it, consider this; that Smash Invitational is going to be bringing in not only 16 skilled players, it will also be inviting a crowd to watch the tournament live, on top of live-streaming it. In addition to that, the Best Buy event, with Smash U being open for all to play during E3's duration, is also going to be drawing in a lot of attention from Smash fans, and gamers in general, all over the states, involving them on a level that the now-closed-to-the-public E3 just can't match anymore, now that their conferences and everything else are press only.

In the bigger scope of things, Nintendo has actually set themselves up to become the most consumer-focused/friendly faction of the Big 3 at this year's E3. It may damage their relationship with a few press entities, but they'll be drawing themselves closer to the gamers at large as a trade-off, by putting one of their most highly-anticipated titles for their ailing Wii U out there for the critics to inspect and the fans to enjoy.

They're bringing people together in a big way, despite the lack of an on-stage press performance. That's not an easy feat to accomplish, and considering how much they need a strategy like this to counter the fact that they'll not be doing a press conference, it's kind of a critical deal for them.

I know we'd all be happier if they did get up on stage and do a press conference, but if they absolutely must skip it, then involving the public in their world using one of their most hype-worthy upcoming titles, in a way no one else is doing, is a good way to balance the scales.